


A Heart For a Heart

by Katalina_Riddle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Post-War, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 19:43:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18505780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katalina_Riddle/pseuds/Katalina_Riddle
Summary: It is their eighth year at Hogwarts. But for Hannah Abbott and Theodore Nott, the pain of the battle is still very real. They were on different sides, but are united in their grief and loss. There are some obstacles that are too great to avoid; but can they come to terms with their new reality?





	A Heart For a Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Song: Tightrope from The Greatest Showman
> 
> Big love to my alpha and my beta, who will remain anonymous at this time! You ladies are amazing and constantly kept me going! Couldn't have done it without you!
> 
> The characters and some of the events in this work are the property of JK Rowling and Bloomsbury. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.

**Some people long for a life that is simple and planned.**

A certain petite, blonde girl ran through the corridors of the newly rebuilt school, her arms piled high with books and parchment, her hair coming loose from its ties as she ran. She burst through the door of the Charms classroom fifteen minutes late, her cheeks very pink and her eyes sparkling, and somewhat out of breath.

“Sorry, Professor Flitwick,” she wheezed, “Professor McGonagall asked to see me.”

Flitwick gave her a bright smile.

“Of course, Miss Abbott, take a seat.”

Hannah slid into a vacant chair in the back row and settled in. It was strange to be back at Hogwarts. Only months before, the very classroom they were sitting in had been a pile of burning, smoking rubble. And yet, looking around, Hannah saw only routine and normalcy. She felt left behind. 

_ How easily they forget _ , she thought sadly. She immediately took it back. She knew they hadn’t forgotten. They were just trying to move on. But Hannah couldn’t. Not yet. She had lost the boy who had been her best friend in the world. They had fought together, side by side. And then she had turned around, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone, surrounded by death, violence and pain. Neville had only ever seen the beauty and good in the world, and she had loved him for it. Now, he was gone, and somehow she had to keep going.

She settled into her seat and sighed, trying her hardest to pay attention to the class. But with each passing minute, she felt it harder and harder to resist the daydreams that often gnawed at her thoughts. 

_ Some people long for a life that is simple and planned,  _ she thought,  _ tied with a ribbon. Some people won’t sail the sea because they’re safer on land. But me...I can’t wait to leave. Maybe it is running away. So be it. I’ll run away. And I won’t look back. _

Hannah’s heart hurt. She had suffered enough. She had lost too many people, too many chunks of her heart. She couldn’t stand another hit like that. If running was her only option, then run she would. Far away from all the heartache that threatened to drag her down every day. 

Every single day Hannah felt like she was walking a tightrope. And any second she felt like she was about to come crashing down, just like the perfect world she had once known.

She looked up for a fleeting second, brought out of her reverie by a loud explosion from the direction of Seamus Finnegan. And when she did look up, she saw a very intense pair of dark eyes staring at her with a vacant, wistful expression. She quickly broke eye contact and looked down at her textbook. 

_ Why was Theodore Nott looking at her? _

oOo

**I’d follow you to the great unknown.**

Theo saw her look down, her cheeks red. He smiled a little. She was a pretty little thing. It was just a pity that she wasn’t in Slytherin. Or Pureblood. Or any of the things his parents would approve of. Not that that mattered much anymore, he realised as a sudden pain twisted in his stomach. Both of his parents were dead. His mother had died when he was born. His father had died five months ago in the final battle, at the Dark Lord’s side. 

Theo felt a shiver go down his spine. It was over for everyone else. Why couldn’t it be over for him too? Every night he re-lived it. His father, being hit in the chest with a green light, the surprised expression on his face fading as he seemed to fall in slow motion. Theo had felt empty. He blinked away tears rapidly. He couldn’t let anyone see him cry.

Theo looked up and realised that the classroom was almost empty. Only he and Hannah Abbott remained. She appeared to be struggling with a huge pile of books, a stack which, when piled high in her arms, almost obscured her pretty little face. Theo approached her.

“Let me help with that, Hannah,” he offered.

Hannah strained her neck over the top of her pile of books.

“Oh no, I’m alright, thank you,” she replied hurriedly, and turned towards the door.

_ She’s afraid of me _ . Theo felt his heart sink. What kind of monster did people think he was? He felt all the guilt and pain that he was trying to supress come to the forefront of his mind, and suddenly, he felt nothing but anger. A white-hot burning sensation filled his senses. He ran down the silent corridor after Hannah and caught up to her easily.

He caught her off guard. Tugging at her waist, he twirled her towards him violently. Her pile of books went crashing to the floor, echoing through the hallway. She let out a scream that was quickly muffled by his hand on her mouth. His heart pounded.  _ Damn, she was beautiful _ . He pinned her roughly to the wall.

“Why are you scared of me?” he demanded, his eyes filled with uncontrollable fury.

Tears leaked down Hannah’s cheeks.

“Theo, you’re hurting me,” she whispered.

He didn’t relent.

“Tell me, Hannah. Why are you scared of me?” he hissed through gritted teeth.

“Because of who you are, Theo, because of who your father was, because of what you both did and who you fought for. I’m scared of you because  _ you don’t know who you are _ .” Hannah shouted these words in his face with a sudden fire and courage. 

Theo was taken aback for half a second. Her response, though more heated than he thought, was not unexpected. People feared him because of his ties to the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. He gripped her wrists tighter and brought his face close to hers.

“ _ I am not my father _ ,” he whispered venomously, searching her face. Standing this close to her, he could feel the warmth radiating from her skin. 

“But Theo, the things they told me you did…” her sentence trailed off as his eyes sparked furiously. He didn’t have to ask who had been spreading the lies. The Slytherin rumour mill was one of the quickest in the school. It churned out rumours by the dozen every single day.  _ I’ll kill Pansy for this _ . 

“It’s not true, any of it. I did  _ not _ pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord, unlike some of my classmates, I did  _ not _ set the school on fire, I did  _ not  _ kill Lavender Brown,  _ and _ ,” he released her arms but kept her cornered against the wall, “I do  _ not  _ have the Dark Mark,” and with that he revealed his forearms to her.

Hannah gasped. No, he didn’t have a Dark Mark. But someone had clearly tried to slice it into his skin. The scars were fading, but still raised and clear. Theo had never shown anyone these. He had never explained why he stopped wearing short sleeved shirts and refused to use the showers in the Quidditch change rooms. 

“Then...none of it’s true? Oh, Theo, who  _ did  _ this to you?” Hannah traced the scars with gentle fingers without even thinking. 

“My father wanted me to join the family business,” he replied bitterly. “I didn’t fancy it. He didn’t fancy my response.” He leaned in even closer to Hannah. “I’m walking a tightrope, Hannah, and I feel like I’m one misstep away from falling off.”

“Theo, I’m so sorry. I know what you mean. I want to run away and never stop until I find where I’m supposed to be.” She spoke in a tearful whisper.  

The silence hung in the air for mere seconds...before Theo groaned and smashed his mouth against hers, trapping her against the wall, pinning her arms above her head. This was not love, nor anything like it. For Theo, it was anger, bitterness and pain. For Hannah, it was fear, grief and heartbreak. Their mouths locked together in a passionate war. 

_ You run, Hannah. I’d follow you to the great unknown, off to a world we call our own. It’s better than staying here with the constant reminders of a past we can’t escape and a future we’ve been denied. _

Theo released her arms so he could begin to undo the buttons on her blouse. There was no time for sensuality. He was desperate. They both were. His hands explored her body, touching, feeling, massaging. Hannah emitted moans and sighs, her hands tangled in his unkempt mop of hair. His mouth found her neck, and he kissed and nipped his way up until he found her mouth with ferocious hunger.

As Theo began to remove Hannah’s blouse from her shoulders, and his free hand found its way to the zipper on her skirt, a sudden voice came from the end of the abandoned, shadowed corridor.

“ _ Master Nott, Miss Abbott, my office now. _ ”

Theo immediately grabbed Hannah and shielded her as she hurried to dress herself adequately again. Hannah blushed scarlet as she turned away from him to straighten her attire and compose herself. Theo reached out a hand to help her but she shrugged it away.  _ She’s ashamed to be seen with me.  _ The realisation hurt more than he thought it would. But honestly, he couldn’t blame her. 

They both turned and followed Professor McGonagall in awkward, tense silence. 

oOo

**We promised to never let go.**

“Mr. Nott, you must realise how that looked.”

Professor McGonagall was not beating around the bush. 

“Taking advantage of a student, Mr. Nott... _ forcing  _ yourself on her...you are only here because I saw something in you that deserved another chance. Your actions are telling me that I was incorrect in this judgment.”

Theo felt his temper burn deep within him.  _ Don’t explode. You’ll make things worse.  _

“But Professor, I  _ swear _ , I didn’t hurt her. I didn’t “take advantage” of her. Did I Hannah?”

He looked pointedly over at the decidedly silent third party in the situation. Hannah sat with her head lowered, keeping her silence very loudly. She was fiddling with her necklace almost nervously, clearly looking like she wished she were somewhere else.

“Well, Miss Abbott? Mr Nott’s status at this school relies on your answer, so I suggest you speak truthfully.”

Professor McGonagall’s voice was brisk and unsentimental. She was firm in her dealings with students, but everybody knew that she was nothing if not fair. 

Hannah took a deep breath and lifted her chin. She avoided eye contact with Theo, unable to countenance the hurt she knew she would find in his face.

“Yes ma’am. He  _ did  _ take advantage of me.”

Professor McGonagall’s frowning face turned to stare down an incredulous and angry Theo.  _ How could she lie like that?  _ He began to protest his innocence in no uncertain terms.

“But so did I,” Hannah whispered.

Professor McGonagall and Theo both turned to look at her in shock; McGonagall because Hannah was a star student and could not (in her eyes) possibly take advantage of another student, and Theo because for a split second he had been ready to pack his bags because expulsion looked set in stone. 

Hannah stood shakily.

“May I go now, Professor?” she asked softly, still avoiding Theo’s now-curious eyes. 

Professor McGonagall shook her head in disbelief. 

“As this issue appears to be a misunderstanding with fault on both sides, yes Miss Abbott, you may go. But next time you feel the need to conduct personal relations, may I suggest somewhere a little less...public.”

The hint of a smile lifted the corners of her mouth and a twinkle reached her eyes. Professor McGonagall had had her fair share of forbidden romances. Far be it from her to destroy the exploration of sexuality. And they were both eighteen.  _ Honestly, children these days _ , she thought,  _ they would never have survived in my era _ . 

Hannah left meekly, suitably admonished. Theo left to follow her, but stopped in the doorway.

“That wasn’t fair, Professor,” he rounded on her furiously, “you made an assumption about me. And you were wrong. I need you to know, Professor, that I am  _ not  _ my father.”

His voice belied his pain as the last few words staggered from his throat. Professor McGonagall looked him in the eye sympathetically. She did not berate him for his anger. She understood.

“You are correct in this instance, Mr. Nott. I did assume that you were in the wrong, and for that I am sorry. I stand by my decision to accept you back into this school. Now prove me right. That will be all.”

Theo turned and left, his mind racing. He would prove it to her. He would prove it to everyone. He caught sight of a blonde head disappearing rapidly around a corner.  _ Hannah _ . He walked faster to catch up with her. 

“Hannah,  _ wait _ !

She heard him behind her calling her name, but instead of stopping, she picked up her pace and fled to the nearest staircase.  _ Please move, please please please move.  _ But just before the staircases changed, a hand grabbed her arm. 

“Hannah. Look at me.”

She lifted her eyes slowly to meet his, inwardly preparing herself for what she might find there. But what she might have expected was not what she saw. Pain and hurt, yes...but there was forgiveness there too, and something else.  _ Longing _ . That was it. She was taken aback.  _ He doesn’t want me. There’s no way.  _ After what seemed like several long minutes of silently analysing the depths of each other’s souls, Hannah abruptly pulled her arm back and sprinted up the staircase, leaving a confused Theo standing there wondering where on earth his life had gone wrong. 

That evening on the way down to the Great Hall for dinner, Hannah glanced furtively around her, looking for any sign of Theo’s presence. She couldn’t face him. Not now that she realised just how much she wanted him. She couldn’t stand the thought of wanting someone who didn’t want her back. 

He was waiting though. He knew. He always knew. She felt his eyes on her all the time. He watched her, always staring, never approaching. This time was different though. As she reached the staircase down to the hall, he reached out from behind a gargoyle and took hold of her wrist.

“You are coming with me.”

It wasn’t a request. It was a command. Hannah felt helpless to resist. Her heart pounded and she let herself be dragged outside to the greenhouses. She loved Herbology. Neville had spent a large portion of last year in the greenhouses with her, poring over seedlings and flower beds. Everyone had thought that they would be a perfect couple, but Hannah knew from the start that they were never meant to be. He was much happier with Luna than he ever would have been with her, of that she was certain. The greenhouses still held many of those warm and comfortable memories.

A harsh voice dragged her back to the present.

“Why are you avoiding me, Hannah?”

Theo was agitated and extremely confused. She was a problem he needed to solve. He took her by the shoulders and pressed her up against the glass wall. He saw defiance and a sliver of fear in her eyes, but he did not let her go.

“ _ Why _ , Hannah?” he hissed impatiently. “You are  _ infuriating _ .”

She maintained her silence. He groaned.

“Fine. Go then,” he said defeatedly.

He released her shoulders and turned away from her. He lifted himself up on to one of the long benches in the centre of the greenhouse and slumped over with his head in his hands. It was all getting to be too much for him. The overload of emotions was a weight he was struggling to bear. 

He was suddenly acutely aware of her presence sitting down beside him. He lifted his head slowly to look at her. He knew he looked terrible. He hadn’t slept in days, a fact accentuated by the dark circles under his eyes and the messy, tousled mop of unkempt hair sticking up obstinately on his head. But he was grateful in that moment that she didn’t take one look at him and run for the hills. They sat in silence for a minute or so, until Hannah broke it.

“Neville used to bring me in here,” she said softly, as if reliving beautiful past memories. “He used to say that plants were a universal language, if only people bothered to listen…” she broke off as Theo looked at her with one eyebrow raised questioningly.

“You and Longbottom, hey?” he said with a grin. “I don’t see it.”

She shook her head, to his relief. 

“No. We were never...not like that. He just needed a friend to talk to when things got rough. He didn’t have an easy time of it. With his parents and his grandmother and everything else. I guess I was just...there,” she said with a little shrug. “We did think that maybe we could. But there was nothing there. No...spark,” she flushed as she said that, knowing full well that with Theo, there were sparks aplenty. Enough sparks to fill a fireworks display and more. 

“Well,” said Theo, his hand coming to rest on top of hers, “I, for one, am glad that Longbottom went for the Lovegood girl.” He jumped off the bench and turned to face her, pulling her knees towards him. 

“Aren’t you going to ask me why?” he whispered in a husky voice.

“W-Why?” Hannah questioned in an unsure and shaky voice.

He smiled, teasing her. 

“Because I would have had to turn you into a cheater, and  _ that _ , Hannah, is not who you are. You deserve better than that.”

He was just inches from her face. She could feel his breath on her skin and smell the refined elegance of his aftershave. Her breath caught in her throat, and in that moment she didn’t care if he wanted her or not. It was enough that she wanted him. She closed the gap between them, pulling his head towards her and kissing him heatedly.

As Theo deepened the kiss, Hannah’s lips parted to welcome his exploring tongue. Theo’s hands gently traced the curvature of her spine and her delicate shoulders. The first time they had been caught they had been in a hurry. But this time, it was much slower. Hannah might even have convinced herself that he  _ did  _ want her. But she knew better.

His mouth left hers and moved to her neck, his hands still freely roaming her body. Hannah moaned in pleasurable pain as his hands softly grazed her taut nipples. He smiled.

“Do you want me, Hannah?” he teased softly.

She knotted her fingers in his hair and arched her back as his mouth encompassed a pert, perfectly formed peak, expertly manipulating her with his tongue.  

“No,” she lied through clenched teeth.

He turned his attention to her other breast, this time more forcefully. The sucking motion sent Hannah into a whirlwind of ecstasy.

“What about now?” 

“N-no.” 

Theo felt his frustration rise. Why was she resisting him? She so clearly did want him. He needed to prove to  her that he did want her. All of her. He slid her underwear off, sliding his hands along the receptive skin of her thighs as he did so. She shivered beneath his touch. He smiled against her mouth as he began to kiss her with ferocious hunger. 

When he pulled away, Hannah had her eyes closed and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Theo wiped it away with his thumb.

“Hannah, look at me, love.”

He gently lifted her chin to meet his gaze. He saw pain and fear there and his heart hurt for her.

“Why don’t you want me, Hannah?”

He held his breath in anticipation of the response.

“Because,” she replied with a trembling voice, “you don’t...you don’t want me.”

Theo growled in frustration. She was  _ infuriating _ . He pushed her gently backwards so she was lying on the bench, then pulled himself up on top of her. 

“Oh, believe me Hannah. There is nothing in this world that I want more than you right now.”

He kissed her all the way down her body, sending tremors of delight through her.  _ Maybe _ , she thought,  _ just maybe, he’s telling the truth _ .

“Let me show you just how much,” he said as he reached the slick folds between her thighs.

Hannah’s body writhed in ecstatic convulsions as he claimed her with his mouth. She was on fire, every tiny motion with his tongue sending her into the realms of delirium. She moaned his name as she felt herself falling over the edge, until finally, she released herself and rose to new heights of pleasure previously unknown to her. 

He pulled himself up next to her and turned her face to look at him.

“I  _ do  _ want you Hannah. Only you,” he whispered.

“But... _ why _ ?” she asked, confused. 

Theo pulled her close to him and kissed her mouth sweetly.

“Because you are one of the few people who believes me. That I’m not my father. That I didn’t do all those terrible things. You believe in me, and you don’t know how much that means.”

Hannah couldn’t help herself. She saw the hurt in his eyes and couldn’t stand it. She pressed her lips to his forehead in a chaste, comforting gesture.

“So now, let me ask again Hannah,” he said softly, tenderly stroking her face with his thumb. “Do you want me?”

Hannah took a deep breath.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes. I want you, Theo.”

This time it was she who instigated the kiss. It was she who stripped Theo and traced his chest with her fingers. It was  _ she  _ who took  _ his  _ hardened nipples in her mouth, driving him crazy in the process. And it was  _ she  _ who pleasured  _ him _ , taking his hardened length in her mouth and sending him into the depths of inexplicable, perfect delight. 

And when it was over, and they had taken each other to the explosive climax of their pleasure, they came together, joined as one, a perfect, equal harmony. 

They showed each other how to love that day in the greenhouse.

When they were both dressed and relatively straightened out, Theo took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. As he turned to walk out, she grabbed his hand in her two and pulled him back to her. 

“Theo? Promise me something?”

He placed a hand on the side of her face.

“Anything, love.”

“Never let me go,” she whispered tearfully. “Whatever happens in the future, just...never let me go.”

Theo held their joined hands to his heart. 

“On my life, Hannah, I promise, I will never let go of you. Not for all the world.”

Hannah smiled and shook her head.

“I don’t want all the world,” she said softly, meeting his eyes, “I just want you.”

oOo

**You pulled me in and together we're lost in a dream**

**Always in motion,**

**So I risk it all just to be with you,**

**And I risk it all for this life we choose.**

Sniggers came from behind her in the Charms classroom.

“You know he’s only with her because she’s easily used,” laughed Pansy cruelly. “Don’t worry, he’ll be back with me before you know it.”

“Hey Hannah,” Millicent called loudly, over the top of Professor Flitwick, “I wouldn’t feel too safe if I were you. Pansy’s getting her man back.”

“Miss Bulstrode, that is  _ quite  _ enough, thank you!” Flitwick’s command for Millicent to be quiet worked, but it was too late. A ripple of laughter spread through the class.

Hannah’s face flushed a deep red and she buried herself in her work. Tears threatened, but she pushed them back down. She would not let these girls terrorise her. If only Theo were here to defend her. But he wasn’t in class. It was the anniversary of his mother’s death. He wouldn’t be in any classes today. 

Afterwards, Hannah ran to the sanctuary of her dormitory, where she curled up on her bed with a book and hid from the world. But then it was time for dinner, and she knew that she would have to face them again. 

As Hannah entered the hall, eyes seemed to follow her every move. Students were laughing at her. Clearly, news of Pansy’s manhunt had spread. She heard students placing bets on how long she and Theo would last. It was the last straw. She stood up, her face tear-streaked, and turned and ran. As she sprinted from the hall, she barrelled into a familiar, warm, muscular figure as he was entering. 

Theo held her tightly in his arms as she sobbed. The hall fell silent.

“What is going on here,” said Theo in a quiet tone that held far more fury than if he had raised his voice. Hannah shook her head into his chest and pulled away from him. Letting out another choked sob, she turned and ran from him out into the night.

“ _ Hannah! _ ” 

He started to run after her, but stopped in his tracks. He knew where she would be going. He had something to do first. He strode purposefully into the hall.

“Someone tell me  _ immediately _ what I need to know in the next two minutes, or so help me, someone will get hurt.” 

Ginny Weasley stood up.

“Ask  _ Pansy _ ,” she said with utter contempt. “She’s been tormenting poor Hannah all day. She keeps saying that Hannah is nothing to you, and you’ll take her back soon enough.”

Theo turned to the Slytherin table and eyeballed Pansy. He marched over and hauled her from her seat, pushing her up against the wall, his arm pushed against her neck. 

“You and I? We’re  _ done _ . And don’t you  _ ever  _ bully Hannah again. Because next time, I will not be able to control my actions.  _ Leave. Her. Alone. _ Do you understand?” His voice came out as a hiss that echoed through the hall. Pansy, beginning to lose oxygen, nodded, suitably humiliated in front of her peers.

“ _ Fine _ ,” she choked.

Theo released her and ran out of the school, following the direction he had seen Hannah run.

Hannah sat in an obscured corner of the greenhouse sobbing, curled up in a helpless little ball. She had done nothing to deserve the ire of her classmates, and yet, they had preyed upon her and taken advantage of her vulnerability. And they had made her question everything.

Maybe she and Theo were too different. She was foolish to think that it could have worked. 

“Hannah, love, are you in here?” Theo slid in through the door quietly and called out softly. There was no answer, but he followed the sound of faint sobbing. 

Hannah sat emotionally exhausted, her eyes red from crying, her shoulders still shaking. Strong arms scooped her up and carried her out from her corner. Theo sat her on the long bench and pulled himself up next to her.

“Come here, love,” he said, and gently pulled her towards him, resting her head on his shoulder and holding her in a comforting embrace.

“You can’t listen to Pansy. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She and I are  _ done _ , Hannah, I don’t want her. I have you.”

Hannah shook her head through her tears. “Maybe we are just not meant to be, Theo,” she said sadly. “We are from completely different worlds, we’re so different, how could this possibly work?”

“Don’t talk like that Hannah,” Theo said sharply, “just  _ don’t _ . This  _ will  _ work, and do you know why?”

She shook her head.

“Because we will  _ make  _ it work,” he whispered, his face only inches from hers. “Because you have pulled me into this dream and I don’t want it to end. So I will risk everything for you Hannah. I’ll risk everything for  _ us _ . Because...because…”

He stopped mid sentence and lifted her chin. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight.

“Because I love you.”

Hearing those words, her heart skipped a beat. Not only did he want her...but he  _ loved  _ her. She smiled sweetly.

“Oh, Theo. I love you too.”

She slid off the bench and stood facing him, then she daintily stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his softly. He responded, returning her kiss with heated passion. When they broke apart, she laid her head on his chest and he wrapped her tightly in his arms. 

“I choose  _ you _ , Hannah. Not her.  _ You _ .”

Theo kissed the top of her head. 

“Now. Will you go somewhere with me?”

She lifted her head questioningly and nodded. 

“Yes.”

Theo smiled wonderingly down at the woman in his arms. She trusted him completely. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had trusted him. He took her hand.

“First, we need to leave school grounds. We can’t apparate here,” he said, pulling her out the door. He had made up his mind. He was going to take her somewhere he’d never taken anywhere before.

Hannah followed him with no hesitation. There was no rational logic for the way she felt. But she would have gone anywhere with him in that moment.

oOo

**Never sure, will you catch me if I should fall?**

**Well, it's all an adventure**

**That comes with a breathtaking view,**

**Walking the tightrope with you.**

They apparated.

When they finally arrived, Hannah looked around her, trying to get a bearing on their surroundings. They were in a cemetery, that much she knew. It was dimly lit by lamps from the small but beautiful gothic church it belonged to. A layer of snow lay on the ground and a chill hung in the air. She shivered. It was cold. Theo felt it and gallantly took off his coat and gave it to her. When she tried to protest, he stopped her.

“It’s okay, Hannah, I came prepared.” He revealed an extra layer of warmth beneath his coat. She was suitably mollified. 

“Where are we, Theo?” Hannah asked curiously.

Theo took her hand and led her to a beautiful gravestone, a traditional Celtic cross. He gripped her hand tighter.

“Enniskerry, Ireland. It’s the town where I was born. And this…” he paused, trying to keep his emotions in check. “This is my mother’s grave.”

He knelt down by the headstone and touched it tenderly. 

“Hi mum,” he whispered, “I brought someone with me. I think you’d really like her.” 

He smiled through tears. Hannah knelt down next to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

“Hello, Mrs Nott. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I feel like I should tell you that...he’s okay. Theo is okay. He is safe and loved. You should be proud of him.”

Theo watched Hannah talk to his mother’s grave as if she could actually see his mother standing there. 

“You didn’t have to do that for me.”

“I didn’t do it for you, Theo.”

He looked at her with questioning eyes.

“I did it for your mum. She should be proud of you. And I wanted her to know that you…”

She took a breath and steadied her voice.

“You are not alone in this world. Not anymore. And you are  _ loved _ , Theo. Never forget that.”

She wrapped her arms tightly around him.

“We’re in this together now, Theo. Everything that happens now, we’ll face it together. This is our tightrope. We could fall off it at any moment. But right now, we’re steady. And the view is incredible. And the best part is, I’m here with you.”

She was entirely kissable. Her eyes danced, reflecting the light of the flickering flames in the church gas lamps. He leaned down and kissed her slowly and deeply. 

“ _ Orchideous _ ,” he whispered, and a beautiful bouquet of deep red carnations sprang from his wand. “They were her favourite,” he said to no one in particular. He laid the flowers on her grave and took Hannah’s hand. Together, they turned and, fingers interwoven, walked away through the snow-covered town. 

“I love you, Hannah.”

She squeezed his hand gently.

“I love you, Theo.”

Villagers passed them by, busy on their own errands. But those who did pay attention saw nothing out of the ordinary. A tall, handsome, dark haired boy, holding the hand of a petite, pretty, blonde haired girl. They were talking seriously, smiling occasionally and looking at each other like a couple in love. But those people would never know the lifetime of hurt that boy had suffered, and how the trust and belief of that girl had saved him. 

Theo knew. He had given her all of himself, and she had offered herself in return.

_ A heart for a heart. _


End file.
